Formerly the best looking — and still the most successful — of the acting Baldwin brothers, this talented player is known for his fiery persona both on and off screen. At the outset of his career in the early '80s, the trim, blue-eyed charmer played romantic parts in a number of small-screen series (the daytime soap
The Doctors, the prime-time sudser
Knots Landing), but by the end of the decade he was a hot big-screen up-and-comer, thanks to a string of supporting turns that showcased his range. In 1988 alone he essayed a quintet of diverse roles: a cheating boyfriend in
Working Girl, an intense radio producer in
Talk Radio, a commitment-phobic bachelor in
She's Having a Baby, a mobster in
Married to the Mob and a mild-mannered dead man in
Beetlejuice. He graduated to leading man as a CIA analyst in the Cold War actioner
The Hunt for Red October, a blockbuster that spawned two popular sequels. But the rebellious player didn't appear in either of them (Harrison Ford took over the role). Instead, Baldwin opted to star in the 1992 Broadway revival of
A Streetcar Named Desire, the first in a series of unconventional decisions that prevented him from becoming a true Hollywood A-lister. In the '90s, he headlined a string of flop films (
Mercury Rising,
The Juror,
Heaven's Prisoners), one of which,
The Marrying Man, introduced him to wife Kim Basinger. Unfortunately, their cinematic failure proved to be prophetic. During their tempestuous union, they produced a daughter and another flop film (
The Getaway), before engaging in an acrimonious divorce and child-custody battle, which was tabloid fodder for years. Even as recently as April 2007, a recording of an angry, abusive voice mail he left his daughter was leaked to the media, which prompted a judge to temporarily revoke his visitation rights and Baldwin to have a mini-breakdown as he went on various talk shows to apologize. Although he claimed Basinger was responsible for making the tape public, she vehemently denied it. Basinger wasn't the only one accusing him of bad behavior, and Baldwin's reputation worsened, with tales of his on-set tantrums and erratic behavior, not to mention his bad box-office grosses. In the '00s, Baldwin — whose dashing good looks were now partially eclipsed by a rapidly expanding waistline — turned to character roles, deservedly earning his first Oscar nod as a menacing gangster in 2003's
The Cooler. He also returned to the small screen, earning a number of Emmy nominations for his work, as well as 2007 Golden Globe and SAG Awards for his riotous turn as a TV exec in the sitcom
30 Rock. In a way, his career — if not his personal life — was healthier than ever, as busy Baldwin effortlessly segued from stage to TV to films. A longtime outspoken liberal, he also found time to champion various progressive political causes.
Alec Baldwin Fast Facts:
- In 1990, he played the lead in an off-Broadway production of Craig Lucas' Prelude to a Kiss but didn't move to Broadway with the show because of film obligations; two years later, he reprised the role for the film adaptation.
- Narrated a number of episodes of the popular children's series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends in the mid-90s, and appeared as the Conductor in the 2000 feature film Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- One of the most popular hosts of Saturday Night Live, making enough appearances to warrant his own Best of DVD.
- An outspoken advocate for a variety of public-policy issues, including the environment and gun control; serves on the board of directors for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund (founded in 1996 after his mother, Carol, successfully battled the disease).
- Alec Baldwin Relationships:
- William Baldwin - Brother
- Daniel Baldwin - Brother
- Stephen Baldwin - Brother
- Janine Turner - Ex-fiancée
- Kim Basinger - Ex-wife
- Elizabeth Keuchler - Sister
- Ireland Eliesse Baldwin - Daughter
- Jane Sasso - Sister
- Alexander Rae Baldwin Jr. - Father
- Carol Baldwin - Mother
- Alec Baldwin Awards:
- 2004 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2003 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Winner
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2006 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 1996 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special - Nominee
- 2001 Emmy: Outstanding Miniseries - Nominee
- 2002 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
- 1996 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
- 2001 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
- 2003 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 1992 Tony: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play - Nominee
- 2007 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2008 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- College:
- Attended George Washington University, Washington, DC; New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY (BFA in Acting, 1994)
